(CNN) – Members of Congress are split on whether to rein in the National Security Agency's surveillance activities after intelligence leaks revealed the extent of the government's data-collection program.

A review of NSA surveillance practices ordered by the White House recommended changes to the program including greater judicial oversight and more public transparency in the collection of metadata. And a U.S. district judge said that the mass collection of phone records was probably unconstitutional.FULL POST

On Wednesday, he received a set of recommendations from a panel he appointed to review the government's surveillance programs - a decision he made after Edward Snowden's blockbuster leaks about National Security Agency spying triggered outrage.

(CNN) - Republican Sen. Rand Paul said the nation’s top intelligence official should resign for “lying” to a Senate committee about mass data collection by the National Security Agency.

"I do think what your government is doing is unconstitutional, and I really think that in order to restore confidence in our intelligence community, I think James Clapper should resign," Paul said Wednesday on CNN's "The Situation Room."FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - While President Barack Obama and White House aides may have wanted the nation's top tech executives to help dissect their botched health care website, the industry titans themselves had something else in mind: the federal government's vast cybersnooping.

A source familiar with Tuesday's discussion at the White House said several executives at the meeting were frustrated with the White House's focus on HealthCare.gov, because the chiefs came to Washington to voice their concerns on surveillance issues.FULL POST

(CNN) - A federal judge said Monday that he believes the government's once-secret collection of domestic phone records is unconstitutional, setting up likely appeals and further challenges to the data mining revealed by classified leaker Edward Snowden.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the National Security Agency's bulk collection of metadata - phone records of the time and numbers called without any disclosure of content - apparently violates privacy rights.

Washington (CNN) - The top NSA official tasked with assessing the damage from Edward Snowden's leaks says he would consider amnesty for the former contractor in exchange for a halt to the flow of top secret information about U.S. spying.

Snowden, currently in Moscow evading a U.S. warrant for his arrest on espionage charges, leaked information on widespread data collection that's spurred outcry and forced President Barack Obama to review the spy agency's powers.

(CNN) - Some U.S. technology giants are asking the Obama administration and Congress to rein in government surveillance.

Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Google and Microsoft are among the companies signing an open letter arguing that surveillance has gone too far. The companies say they're improving encryption and fighting to limit surveillance requests, but they're also asking for new legal changes to limit surveillance.

Washington (CNN) - When asked who would make a better successor – Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton – President Barack Obama joked that there was, "Not a chance am I going there." And quickly added, "Both Hillary and Joe would make outstanding presidents and possess the qualities that are needed to be outstanding presidents."

Obama made the remarks in a wide ranging interview on MSNBC with Chris Matthews. He tackled issues from Obamacare and the NSA to the political stalemate in Washington and the faltering economy.FULL POST